Is Percussion Therapy the Next Big Thing?
Here at Flow, we think percussion therapy is a great way to help athletes unlock their full potential. But what exactly is it?
Percussion therapy, through the use of a tool, is a way of delivering bursts of pressure to soft body tissue via short-duration pulses. In short, it’s like using a mini jackhammer on your body (a very nice mini jackhammer).
Using a handheld massage device like the Flow PRO or the Flow MINI, you can deliver a series of short pressure bursts into your soft tissue, like your muscles, tendons and ligaments.
There are a number of reasons that you might want to do this.
Following a workout, this is a great way to stimulate and increase blood flow to the muscles that you’ve just been working on. This increased blood-flow means that your muscles can repair quicker, and get you back into action faster. In other words, you can seriously reduce the effect of DOMS. It can also reduce the amount of lactic acid build up in your muscles, meaning you’ll get instant relief from post-workout pain.
Percussive therapy is also useful pre-workout. Using the Flow PRO or Flow MINI on the muscle areas you plan to target during a workout will loosen them up, get blood circulating and extend their range of motion. Rather than starting a workout tense and stiff, you can start achieving your goals straight away.
Like a traditional sports massage, percussive therapy can also be used as a way to target sore knotted muscles and release pressure points. Problems that might have been traditionally addressed by a foam roller such as a tight IT band or an achy back can be targeted and worked on in under a minute due to the fast frequency of the device. It also means you don’t have to spend large portions of your day rolling around on the ground. Post accidents or surgery it is also a way to break down scar tissue and speed recovery.
In conclusion, it’s more convenient than a sports massage, more civilized and comfortable than a foam roller, faster than a drawn-out warm up and cool down routine, and softer than a jack-hammer.
